Styx

Current Line-up Rating 3 Stars

Styx is an American rock band, best known for their most popular hit songs “Lady” (#6, 1975), “Come Sail Away” (#8, 1977), “Babe” (#1, 1979), “The Best of Times” (#3, 1981) and “Mr. Roboto” (#3, 1983). Other hits such as “Show Me the Way” (#3, 1990), and “Don’t Let It End” (#6, 1983) are recognizable as well.

Arguments over which songs to release as singles, the album’s artwork, the track sequencing, the slow album sales, and the omission of DeYoung’s vocals and keyboards from many of the Shaw/JY tracks fueled the fire. The band was further hindered by a viral illness contracted by DeYoung which temporarily made his eyes sensitive to light. DeYoung asked his bandmates to delay touring but they refused and decided to go forward without him..

Chuck Panozzo was sidelined in 1998 after revealing to his bandmates that he was gay and battling HIV. His public “coming out” occurred in 2001 at the annual Human Rights Campaign banquet.

On June 5, 1999, Styx played their final show with Dennis DeYoung, the true voice of Styx, for the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon. This was probably one of the hardest shows to do as Dennis had already been replaced by Canadian Lawrence Gowan, though no official statement regarding a firing or replacement had been made. As a result of the replacement, DeYoung filed a lawsuit charging that the remaining members of the band were using the Styx name without his consent, and he in turn was eventually countersued by Shaw & JY for using the billing of “Dennis DeYoung, the voice of Styx” in his solo concerts. The suit was eventually settled with the agreement that DeYoung could bill himself as “performing the music of Styx” or “formerly of Styx”, but not as “the voice of Styx”, and Styx continued on with Shaw & JY at the helm. this band now tours without the three founding members.

Source and more information: Wikipedia